Child Health and Child Nutrition

Healthy eating habits for children begin at home.

When it comes to feeding your children, it may seem like there are a dizzying number of rules to follow. Kids need nutrients to grow strong and healthy, but you also have to limit treats and serving sizes so that your child doesn't become overweight and develop health problems down the road.

These two issues can be difficult to juggle. However, Vitamix whole food meals can make them both easier to accomplish.

(ARA) - From friendly clown spokesmen to colorful grab-and-go convenience, fast food has a lot of appeal for kids. Is it any wonder, then, that nearly a third of all American children are overweight and 15 percent outright obese?

Increasingly, health advocates, nutritionists and smart parents are fighting fire with fire by presenting healthy foods in ways that children will find fun and appealing.

"Sure a lot of unhealthy foods taste good, but children also choose these foods because they are perceived as 'fun,'" says Jodi Berg, Marketing Director of Vitamix Corporation, a company that has been making kitchen appliances dedicated to healthy eating that's delicious, fun and easy for over 70 years. "Fun is the secret ingredient that can also get kids to choose foods that are good for them."

Anne DiCello, MS, RD offers the following tips for presenting healthy foods, like vegetables, unprocessed fruits and whole grains, in fun ways kids will love:

1. "Start healthy habits in the high chair."
   
   Babies who start out eating healthful foods grow up into adults with a good dietary foundation. Many pediatricians recommend parents make their own baby food, rather than feed infants commercially prepared foods that are often full of water, starch, sugar or meat fillers. Homemade baby food can provide better nutrition at a fraction of the cost.
   
   Preparing baby food is easy. Simply steam or gently cook the healthful ingredients of your choice, from carrots and peas to sweet potatoes, apples or pears, then puree them. For optimum health benefits, puree cooked foods with a little water in a powerful blender like the Vitamix Super 5000. The machine breaks the whole fruits and vegetables down to the cellular level, so nutrients are freed--not stripped away. Using the whole vegetable or fruit allows you retain most, if not all, of the food's original nutrients and fiber.
   
   
2. "Turn kids into "smoothie operators."
   
   There's no denying that smoothies are strong on the fun factor. Unfortunately, smoothies purchased from an ice cream shop, or packaged ones from a grocery store, often contain excess sugar and preservatives. Very often, they are made with processed fruit syrups that are missing most of the whole food fiber and nutrients.
   
   Making smoothies at home is a great way to put the nutrition back into this kid-friendly treat. By using fresh whole fruits and your own healthy ingredients, you have total control over the nutritional content. Older kids can get in on the act by helping prepare the ingredients and creating new combinations.
   
   "Smoothies are a great way to get kids to eat both fruits and vegetables," according to Jodi Berg. "Start out with a healthy base of fresh fruits, and even the most militant anti-veggie toddler won't be able to taste the squash or carrot you've slipped into the smoothie."



3. Make guilt-free "instant" ice cream that kids, teens and adults can all enjoy.
   
   Rare indeed is the child who does not like ice cream. However, parents abhor the high fat and sugar content that is found in many store-bought brands. Using the Vitamix machine, it's easy to prepare healthful frozen treats in under a minute. A powerful motor and precision blades turn healthy ingredients like frozen fruit and low fat milk into a soft-serve style ice cream with all the flavor of more fattening fare.
   
   Soups and breads are also great ways to incorporate vegetables into kids' diets. Whip up a tasty, delicious chicken soup with a healthy base of pureed veggies instead of basic broth. Instead of buying "enriched" white bread, make home made whole grain flour and add cranberries, zucchini, pumpkin and carrots to basic bread recipes.

One in two women and one in eight men over 50 suffer fractures due to a loss of bone mass, including sometimes life-threatening hip fractures.

But during the preteen and teenage years, you can reduce the risk of fractured bones later in life with calcium-rich foods and physical activity. Adolescent bodies are tailor-made to "bone up" on calcium. Calvo says that with the start of puberty, "your body is at a higher capacity to absorb and retain calcium." As excellent as milk is for bones, dairy products are not the only foods that contain calcium. Seseme seeds, spinach, broccoli and other "greens" are great examples of high-calcium foods.

The importance of choosing calcium sources from the different food groups is that each group offers a unique package of other nutrients as well.

But everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right?

Here is some proof from recent studies:

• Students who ate breakfasts before starting school had better math grades, reading scores, increased student attention, reduced nurse visits, and improved behavior.
  
• Children who eat a healthy breakfast 'meet their daily nutritional needs, keep their weight under control, have lower blood cholesterol levels and attend school more frequently.
  
• Kids who eat breakfast are more likely than children who skip breakfast to consume foods with adequate levels of essential minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamins, such as riboflavin, vitamins A, C, and B12, and folate.

So why aren't your kids eating breakfast each day?
Most likely it is because your family is already rushed in the morning and you don't feel like you have time to provide a nutritious breakfast. But remember that a good breakfast doesn't require lots of time - especially if you have a Vitamix machine. There are many quick and easy breakfasts that you can give your kids that are also nutritious. Try these Vitamix recipes: Cinnapple syrup on whole wheat pancakes or a Fruit smoothie.

If you've decided to prepare your own food for baby, congratulations! By doing so, you're serving up two of life's greatest gifts - good health and delicious food.

When you use your Vitamix machine to make your own baby food, you'll know what's going into your baby's diet and what's not -- like preservatives, fillers, extra sodium and sugar!
Here are a few of the easy-to-prepare recipes you can make using your Vitamix machine.